this is gonna sound silly...

[bigghoss]

I know this sounds goofy but what do you guys think about using a high end airsoft pistol to practice with, in your home if you can't make it to the range on a regular basis.

I have a glock 17 and even with a .22 conversion I still need to actually get to the range. I was thinking of trying to get an officially licensed one or failing that something as close to the actual thing as I can get.

so yea or neh? and if yes any recommendations? on what to get and where to get it

[James K]

I have a CO2 revolver that is a copy of an S&W and also an air pistol. I have used both in the basement in the winter months. Good practice and fun in itself.

Jim

[mpage]

What about those replica pistols which actually have a slide action to them (I think that's powered by CO2) - does anyone practice with those? I'd imagine they're not cheap, though.

[kraigwy]

Whats wrong with practicing with your carry pistol???

[hoytinak]

Whats wrong with practicing with your carry pistol???

I don't think he wants to practice shooting his carry pistol in his house. But you can still practice your draws and dry fire at home (I do this all the time). Just make sure you clear your firearm first.

[EastSideRich]

(practice with carry pistol)
I feel like it's more effective than practicing with an airsoft or bb gun.
I do however have a little CO2 bb gun that feels a lot like a real pistol and practice draw and fire in our basement or back yard just for fun.

[elrod]

Sure can't hurt anything.....go for it!

[scoutleader]

I shoot with a group of guys and we use them for training aids. We do force on force practice with them. We also us them for cubical wars at work when no one is around. We have only been doing the training for about 3 months and it has been great. I would say get one and try them.

[NRAhab]

A lot of top competition shooters use airsoft to practice. There's even an airsoft based action shooting sport called (shockingly) Action Airgun for people who are interested.

The great thing about airsoft is that when it's 10 degrees outside like it gets here in Indiana, you can still practice fundamental skills like drawing from the holster, getting your sight picture and breaking a shot. While you can certainly tell the difference between the trigger on an airsoft pistol and the trigger on say, a ParaUSA LTC; what is important is that you're building the muscle memory necessary to perform the act of drawing/sight picture/break the shot in a stress situation, whether it's an actual gunfight or an IPSC/IDPA match.

Plus, it's a lot cheaper than shooting real bullets. You can burn through 1000 rounds of airsoft with a CO2 powered gun for 5, maybe 10 bucks which isn't even something you can do with a .22 any more.

[Capt. Charlie]

As you've already surmised from the replies, it's not silly at all, Bigghoss.

As to practicing with your carry gun, you might consider Speer's plastic bullets. They can be used multiple times and are powered by a large pistol primer.

Make no mistake though; there's more power behind these than you might think. I thought hanging three blankets would be enough for a backstop. It wasn't. These little plastic bullets ripped through all three , so exercise all the cautions you'd use with a fully loaded gun, (as you should anyhow )

[bigghoss]

thats a good idea capt. charlie but I live in an apartment and even if I had a good backstop I don't think the neighbors would like the constant sound of primers cracking off

so anybody know what to get and where to get it?

[T. O'Heir]

"...primers cracking off..." Right. I can see and hear the excrement bricks falling now. However, dry firing doesn't involve primers going bang. It's just sight picture and trigger control practice with an empty firearm. It's also a long used training technique.
Airsoft guns are very expensive toys. A good quality air or CO2 pistol isn't. There are reasonable inexpensive bullet traps available. Midway sells one that'll stop a .22 LR(over kill to be sure for a 1 bedroom apt., but it'd do nicely for an air gun) for $63.99. The friggin' supervising cat wouldn't allow it in my place though.

[zippy13]

Don't try to tell the Olympic competitors that shooting air pistols is silly. Go for it! Have you checked out air gun depot or air gun warehouse?

[Odd Job]

Depending on what your carry gun is, you can get an airsoft equivalent that is roughly the same weight and has the same controls. (Edit: you could get a G17 that is a fair replica in all ways except what comes out of the muzzle end)
I have a KJWorks P226 that I use in the house occasionally. If I had a real P226 I could easily use the airsoft replica to practise draws. It reproduces the SA/DA trigger and even has gas blowback of the slide. Fits in a standard Comp-tac P226 Kydex holster also.
Recently when I visited my sister in Florida and visited the shooting range, I was pleasantly surprised how natural it was to handle and fire one of their SIGs. My fingers naturally 'remembered' the controls and I was good to go from round 1. It's just a question of expecting recoil and noise, which shouldn't be a problem if you've fired the real steel before.

[the_pragmaticist]

Far from silly - "playing" with a BB gun has made me an infinitely better shot than I ever could have been shooting a .45 til my funds ran out. Walmart of all places sells a $29.99 1911 officer's frame BB pistol which will put 15 rounds in a quarter at 8 yards. I've worn three of them out over maybe 20,000 rounds.

Total expenditure on guns: 90 bucks
Total expenditure on ammo: 30 bucks
Total expenditure on CO2: 150 bucks

Total: $270

Equivilant cost of 20,000 rounds of .45 alone: $5,000

You'll still want to shoot your firearm regularly to learn the art of ignoring recoil (and because "boom" is more fun than "pop"), but trigger control and sight picture can be practiced much cheaper. I also became much better at point shooting after a few thousand tries. It always seemed like a bit of a waste to draw and fire instinctively at the range only to see the pristine target laughing back at me. That is no longer an issue.

My backstop is a two foot by two foot 2x4 frame with a 7/8" plywood back with several layers of old rags & toweles stapled over it. BBs tend to pentrate a few towels and stay in the backstop - your mileage may vary with airsoft but I suspect the same setup would work.

Be aware that Airsoft blowback guns will rip through CO2 at an alarming rate as opposed to fixed barrel models or BB guns. I had the displeasure of shooting a 1911 gov't size airsoft replica - it field strips like the real deal and the slide functions, but you have to replace the CO2 cartridge every time you fill the magazine (15 shots). It is also worth noting that Airsoft is largely marketed towards kids and thus one of the primary selling points on many of the guns is that they are "heavy". Fit and finish don't come into play; I think you just have to get lucky to get a good one.

[NRAhab]

A lot of the major firearms manufacturers also sell licensed copies of their guns, whether in .177 pellet guns or airsoft. For example, Colt produces various 1911s as .177 caliber CO2 powered pellet guns.

[scorpion_tyr]

I say go for it... can't hurt unless you shoot someone with it and in that case it won't hurt for very long. Might not help much with the accuracy of your specific gun, but I can see how it would help your grip, aim, trigger squeeze, and general function control of the weapon. My own personal note: practice on cats to help increase accuracy on moving targets.

[ken grant]

I use Airsofts for learning to point shoot in the different styles.
My #1-- KWA Glock 19 has over 12,000 BB's through it with no problems.
I have several others with less rds. but also with no problems.
You get everything except noise and as much recoil with these as they are Gas Blow Backs.

I use Coleman Propane bottles with mine and can get over 6,000 shots with one bottle at room temp.

For a backstop I use a cardboard box with the top cut out. I cut v-notches in the ends and lay a rod across the box. I drape a piece of carpet or rug over the rod and let it hang down in the box as a backstop. A good Gas Blow Back will shoot all the way through just the box.
Pin or tape targets to the box and shoot away. It will last for 1,000s of rds.
I still use the same box I started with over 20,000 BB's ago.

There are places in the world that people can't own pistols and AirSoft is very big there. They have matches of all kinds such as IPDA,IPSC,falling plates and etc.

[Conceal Carry]

I have a Daisy Power line air pistol and frequently practice with it in my TV lounge. It's a lot heavier than my carry pistols and I guess it helps in my shooting with the real ones. Here is a group of five shots from 7 metes (sitting on the sofa)